CSIRO road trial of plug in hybrid electric vehicles

From Greenlivingpedia, a wiki on green living, building and energy

CSIRO is conducting a road trial of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in conjunction with SP-AusNet in Victoria, Australia.[1]

Over the next three months, staff from Victorian energy distributor SP AusNet will use the PHEVs for their daily drive to work and for leisure as part of the trial.

CSIRO engineers have modified the PHEVs to carry a 30Ah NiMH battery which is capable of holding a 6kw charge, and a battery charger. This allows the cars to plug into and charge with electricity from the grid or from on-site renewable energy sources.

The road trial aims to collect extensive information on how the existing PHEV technology could be used for a new application: using the car as a large mobile battery which can be integrated and used in the home.

The PHEVs have been fitted with instruments which will monitor the travel patterns of different users, and the residual battery power left in the car at the end of the day, which could be available for other uses.